320
local Government, and has done good service in ridding the frontier of many bad characters.
SECOND RICE-CROP.
The second rice-crop is now being cat in places. The yield this time promises to be exceptionally good-even better than the first orop. The price of new paddy in Shamchun market is about $2.10 por picul
PARTRIDGE AND QUAIL,
These birds are now fairly numerous -the latter especially. They are to be found in dry, grassy places.
CANTON
[FROM OUR OWN CORRESPONDENT. |
Canton, 22nd October.
TROUBLES IN THE EAST, The district to the eastward of Canton is never free from trouble, Not many months ago two villages, only a few miles from the East gate of the city, carried on warfara for several days, even using some small cannon. which boomed away for two or three hours each day without doing much damage The Pun Yü magistrate, in whose care this troublous district is, took good-care to leave the villages to fight their quarrel out without interfere ce.
In
It is, however, further east where the most tabulent district is to be found. I have referred several times to the disrders in the Wai- chow and Kwai Sing districts, which lio adjacent to one another. I have now collected a few details which will show the undesirability of these districts for residential purpo es. Ho Yün-a district in the north of Waicbow prefecture, travellers cannot travel singly, but form caravans for safety's sa' Fearful stories are told of the cruelty of the brigands, who, among other things, are said to bind their victims to trees after robbing them, and leave them to starve. Iu Kwai ing districts the roads are no safer, but it is tot travellers only who have to fear the brigands Private houses are broken into almost daily, and the inhabitants
carried off and held to ransom. Cases have been reported from l'ing Shao, Tam Sui, and Pak Ming Fa.
Nor do people who travel by water fare any better. The passenger-boats on the various branches of the East River are regularly held
ap.
Last week on two days the daily boat b3- tween Shek Lung and Poklo was robbed by a band of 10 pirates On the second occasion three passengers were killed, but I am informed by a German missionary that it is very rarely that blood is shed; while foreigners may generally pass in perfect safety and even im- munity from attack-as in Kwangsi.
THE HONGKONG WEEKLY PRESS AND
Even the walled cities are not safe in this "distressful" country. Early last week one of the gates of Waichow itself was attacked by a small army of brigands eager for the plunder of the wealthy quarter. They were beaten back with some difficulty; and such is the terror of the citizens that they have sent a petition to the Viceroy praying for immediate help. It may be remembered that some of the troops were withdrawn for the defence of Canton a month ago. These men could well return to Waichow now that Cantou is well-garrisoned, and it is probable that they will do so.
IN CANTON,
and a
There is little news in the capital. The Namhoi has been dismissed for incompetency favourite of the Viceroy's, one Yen, young and able man, bas taken his place. The process of weeding-out is still being carried out, Captain Yang of the Shameen guard has been petitioned against by 72 guilds, and it is probable that his day has come.
Canton, 28th October.
HE, SHUM ON SICK LEAVE. The Viceroy has asked the Throne for one month's sick leave. He will remain in his yamên without transacting any business, as he is not in a fit state of bealth to deal with the weighty questions which are before him. Not least important among these, it is said, will be the enquiry into alleged corruption among the examiners at the M.A. examination. The papers are to be handed in at the viceregal yamen on the 30th, and after that date petitions may be sent in in the usual way.
REMARKABLE IMPERSONATION. A case in which remarkable astuteness was
out
fault of the
[November 2, 1903, shown by a small official has just been brought | messenger's head if he did not produce the The to light. Some time ago the name Cheung document within twenty-four hours. Ting Wai was mentioned in connection with man ran trembling to the Consulate to beg the the Cantonese fleet. Admiral Lo Bu had been Consul to save his life. The latter searched superseded by Chenug. It now appears that everywhere, and at last found the despatch blotting paper on his desk. this gentleman had been dead for years, bat, underneath the by a masterpiece in the way f forgery and Upon his writing to the Viceroy to point
that
not the probably by extensive bribing of underlings, a
it was junior official had succeeded in personating messenger, the matter dropped. Chenng. While in a low position this impostor had managed to keep up the farce, but he grew ambitious, and by his clover representations to the Viceroy (he exposed Lo Ba's incomp tence and suggested to lines on which the fleet in the South could be re-organised): he was raised to the poss of admiral. Ifere, however, his own ignorance of high affairs led to his exposure, and he now stands charged not only of forgery bnt of lining his own pockets by supply ng the Kwangsi rebels with arms.
PROVINCIAL TROUBLES.
From Kwangsi no news of importanc› creops through the bulwark of cusorship get up by the Viceroy. It may be, as rumoured, that the rebels are coming iu in large numbers, or again detachments of Imperialists may be cut into a thousand pieces, but we in Canton know nothing about it for the present.
Waichow, that other hotbed of brigandage, continues to furnish news. General Ng: who was lately appointed, has already had to call out his troops. It was reported to him last week that several hundred ribis had hold a meeting in a park at Poklo (on the East river) and were planning some great coup. The general promptly made a forced march with a large body of troops, but when he arrived the birds had flown, and he had to catent himself with the destruction of the house and grounds where the plot was hatched.
MORE PIR'CY.
The pirate juuk mentioned in my last letter, encouraged by its previous saccesses, agaio swooped down on a merchantman on the river near Sheklung. A Governm ut boat was on this occasion lurking hard by, and it engaged the corsair, a tremeed us fight ensuing-at a safe distance. After two or three pirates had fallen the junk abandoned its prey.
The Waichow people are highly delighted at these two successes on the side of law and order.
[FROM ANOTHER CORRESPONDENT. |
NEW IDEAS FOR KWANGI. It is said that a Japanese military officer undertaking to stop the rebellion in Kwangsi with two thousand Japanese soldiers, arranged with a native of Sun Nin, by name Yü, to have an interview with the Viceroy to talk ovA. the matter. A petition was presented by Yü but was refused.
There is another suggestion with reference to the rebellion. The committee of the diffe- rent charitable institutions in Canton have offered themselves to the high local authorities as emissaries to repair to Kwangsi and propos terms of peace to the rebels. As they are chairtable men, it is thought the rebels might have more confidene, in them.
AO SUN,
The brigand chief Ao Sun, of Sai Chin, had a fight with his comrades about the division of booty, whereon one of the latter fired and The blackmail Ao wounded him in the arm.
has levied upon the proprietors of land and fields in the district of Henngshan alone amounts to one hundred and ninety thousand dollars a year.
FOOCHOW.
[FROM OUR CORRESPONDENT.]
Foochow, 23rd October.
PROPERTY SALES.
It is now known that the good sale of European properly referred to in my last letter that of one of the largest houses in Nantai-was to Mr. Lo Tsung Hien, eldest
sou of the late Chih Chen Lo Foog-Lu, who is expected to take possession on the 1st prox.
at Cauton, 28th October.
THE NEW NAMHOL IN TROUBLE.
As regards the dismissal of the Namboi magis'rate Wong Sung there is further news
to hand. The cause of his dismissal was that during the term of his office as such magistrate it cams to the k owledge of H.E. Viceroy Shum that the turnkeys and watchers of his yamen squeezed the convicts of various sums of money. Thereupon His Excellency ordered the magistrate to investigate and punish them. He was called upon for an explanation, and te auswer he gave was equivocal and unsatisfactory, so H.E. Shum, very angry, a few days ago ordered his dismissal. To be Namhoi magis- trate one must spend a good lot of money. Wang Sung, it is said, has spent during a few months out of his own pocket something like a hundred thou-aud tae's for yamen expenses and gifts to officials, in the hope of recovering it by collecting the land-taxes: at the end of the year. If a magistrate gets dismissed, as in this case, before the end of the year, he is a sure loser. It is said that Wong will be sent as acting magistrale in the district of Kit-yeong, Waichow.
ANOTHER HEAD IN DANGER.
Ever since Li Ka Cheuk, late magistrate of Yam Chow, was arrested and imprisoned in the Pan-yu gaol, strict watch has been kept over him for fear of his escaping. From fourteen to fifteen soldiers are employed in watching him day and night. and he is not allowed to take the meals sent him by his relatives or friends as other criminals are; nor are his own servants allowed to attend apou but the gaol guards. Report says it very likely that he will lose his head.
UNDER THE BLOTTING PAPER. About a week or ten days ago H. E. Shum sent a despatch to one of the Consuls in chameen. No answer being forthcoming, he wrote again, and the Consul stating that he did not receive the despatch, His Excellency flew into a passion, and threatened to cut off the
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SPORT.
Our Hongkong visitors have been no more successful in their attempts to bag a tiger in the Kucheng district than were those from Shanghai on a previous occasion. But they appear to have taken more trouble, and have rate discovered that the man-eater any (r man eaters) is a leopard and not a tiger. The villagers gave but little support. When a corpse was found they insisted on placing it in a coffin at once. The man-eater returns to "drag" his prey, aud finding his game up clears off in the thick undergrowth. The corpse of a Chinese woodcutter was found
with the marks of the brute's teeth in his સ paw-mark on his shoulder, throat and otherwise untouched, but lying close to that of a young boy, one of whose thighs had been quite devoured. The man had evidently disturbed the leopard at his meal.
It is pleasant to turn from this gruesome report of big game sportsmen to the splendid victory of our local gun club over Amoy with 102 points against Amoy's 8' (out of 120).
The Ladies' Tournament was rather easily won by Miss E. Drew, daughter of the Com- missioner of Customs here.
FOOCHOW ARSENAL. Our local piper in its weekly issue on Saturday last, quoted in full a leading article from the NC. Daily News of 7th October re the Foochow Arsenal. There is no doubt that the present director, Mr. C. Doyère, is leaving the Arsenal shortly, and it is reported A.. Bertrand is to take his that Mr.
means such full place, but with by no
were granted to his predecessor. powers 18 It appears that Taotai Wei Han, who is responsible to the Government, is evidently taking firm measures to preserve the Arsenal for Government purposes.
THE TEA-MARKET.
The market for Oolong teas, which has has been stagnant for so long, was set going quite briskly last week, the Chinese tea-men probably giving up all hopes either of an appreci- able fall in exchange or of finding the American market inclined to weakness. It has been estimated by some that the loss to the Chinese has been about 6 lacs ont of a settlement of 81